It was a scattered day at the LPGA Drive On Championship and Danielle Kang will no doubt hash it all out with boyfriend Maverick McNealy.
TOLEDO, Ohio – When Danielle Kang took out her phone after the round, she looked a bit shocked when she saw that the cutline at the LPGA Drive On Championship had moved to 6 over. She knew it was tough at soggy Inverness, but with no leaderboards on the course it’s tough to gauge exactly how tough.
Players are allowed to check the scores on their phones this week, but Kang won’t do it. During the 45-minute afternoon delay that allowed maintenance staff to squeegee the greens, Kang phoned her instructor, Butch Harmon, to ask for advice and inquire about the scores.
“I felt like I was struggling, and I was kind of behind the field,” said Kang. “He’s like, ‘You’re doing fine.’ ”
Kang held the lead at 6 under when Round 2 started. She dropped one stroke and ended the day in a share of first with two European Solheim Cup players, Celine Boutier (71) and Jodi Ewart Shadoff (72) at 5-under 139.
Kang’s group was put on the clock on the eighth hole and remained on the clock for the rest of the round. She tried not to worry about it but wasn’t successful, noting that she’s “out of practice” in being timed. Add in all the weather challenges and it got a bit overwhelming.
She’ll no doubt hash it all out with boyfriend Maverick McNealy tonight. He’s in contention as well at the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship on the West Coast.
“We talk about the best shots we hit, the best putt we made, the most unlucky shot we got,” she said. “We talk a lot of golf. We just go ‘Babe you would’ve loved this shot, I hit this high cut over a tree.’ … He actually 3D satellites on maps and looks at my entire golf course track. … I don’t do that for his tournaments.
“Hopefully he plays well today, and it will be a really exciting Sunday for us.”
Another phone call in particular helped this week too. Over the extended break, Kang talked to Annika Sorenstam about tackling 54-hole events.
“One of the things was just go out there and be aggressive and put on the gas,” said Kang, “and that’s what I did and shot 6 under yesterday. It’s definitely a benefit going into the weekend.”
Sunday at Inverness could turn into a Solheim-like shootout, a fitting end for a club set to host the biennial event in 2021.
Sarah Schmelzel missed her first three cuts of 2020 and now finds herself two strokes off the lead after carding a 3-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s downpour. The LPGA sophomore has one career top 10, a sixth-place at last year’s Cambia Portland Classic.
Only a dozen players broke par after two rounds. Fifteen players are within five shots of the lead, including a rookie (Yui Kawamoto), a player who had retired from the LPGA (Lee-Anne Pace) and a woman competing in her first LPGA event since giving birth last January (Brittany Lang).
Jodi Ewart Shadoff holds a share of the lead at the LPGA Drive On Championship with a fellow English pro on the bag.
TOLEDO, Ohio – It’s safe to say that Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Holly Clyburn make a good team. They never lost when paired together for England four years ago at the UL International Crown. They practice together in Orlando, mostly at ChampionsGate where both take lessons from David Leadbetter.
Now, with the Symetra Tour off this week, Clyburn is toting the bag for her friend of 17 years. Ewart Shadoff currently holds a share of the lead at 5-under 139 along with Solheim Cup teammate Celine Boutier and Danielle Kang on a rainy day at Inverness Club. Ewart Shadoff said her regular caddie will meet up with her in Scotland.
“I think we got the best end of the draw by the looks of it,” said Ewart Shadoff. It sprinkled a bit on Ewart Shadoff and Boutier on the front nine and started coming down with authority on their last five holes. Kang teed off around the same time her closest competitors were finishing up.
Tee shots will held at a premium this afternoon.
“The rough is pretty bad with the rain on it right now, even just the semi cut,” said Ewart Shadoff. “You have to club up at least one. So it’s going to be interesting how it plays this afternoon, I think.”
Jodi Ewart Shadoff and her caddy, fellow professional Holly Clyburn, read a putt on the 9th hole during the first round of the LPGA Drive Championship at Inverness Club. (Photo: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports)
With the 2021 Solheim Cup being held next year at Inverness, a leaderboard peppered with American and European players gives everyone somewhat of a taste of what’s to come.
Boutier, a 26-year-old Frenchwoman who went 4-0 in her Solheim Cup debut last fall at Gleneagles, won two tournaments in Texas during the LPGA’s extended break. She tried to stay within driving distance of her Dallas home. Boutier won both the Texas Women’s Open as well as the Kathy Whitworth Paris Championship, a Women’s All-Pro Tour event. The competitions helped keep her motivated during the LPGA’s five-month break.
“You know when you don’t have tournaments for three months,” she said, “sometimes you don’t even want to go to the course.”
Ewart Shadoff, 32 first qualified for the LPGA in 2011 and is still looking for her first tour title. Boutier broke through on the LPGA last February at the ISPS Handa Vic Open. Boutier played four times on the LPGA before the tour was suspended and recorded three top 10s. Ewart Shadoff played twice, finishing tied for 19th and tied for 10th.
Like many people, Lee-Anne Pace is in a place she never expected to be in 2020.
TOLEDO, Ohio – Lee-Anne Pace wasn’t supposed to be back on the LPGA. Last year she was set to retire from the LPGA before the lure of a $1 million payout kept her out through October. Pace didn’t win the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, that prize went to Carlota Ciganda, so she returned home to South Africa and made plans to have a baby this spring with her partner.
Like so many dreams in the COVID-19 era, however, starting a family was ultimately delayed when the IVF clinic she planned to use in Cape Town shut down. Pace, 39, moved back to France, where she has a second residence, to ride out the pandemic. She certainly didn’t expect to get into the LPGA Drive On Championship and Marathon Classic. She’s No. 214 on the LPGA priority list. But with so many international players delaying their return to the tour, Pace suddenly had an opportunity to come back.
“Why not? Let’s have a go,” she decided.
And so Pace flew to California to quarantine in sizzling Palm Springs, played a couple fun rounds with friends. Now she’s two off the lead at the Drive On after a first round in which she carded a 4-under 68 on a challenging Inverness track that tests every part of a player’s game.
“I practiced last week and this week,” she said. “I’m just as surprised as you.”
Lee-Anne Pace talks with the media at the LPGA Drive On Championship. (Photo: Beth Ann Nichols/Golfweek)
While Pace didn’t win last year’s Aon challenge, she’s still benefiting from the canceled race this week, as is the rest of the field. When Aon asked LPGA commissioner Mike Whan what they could do to help, Whan asked if the $1 million payout could be spread amongst all the players. Aon agreed, and the money was a driving force behind this week’s Drive On.
The Inverness Club was first approached by the LPGA about hosting the event seven weeks ago. The idea was to create a two-week bubble for the players to compete in before heading overseas. And if the Marathon Classic had fans (it has since been decided that it won’t), the LPGA would have a chance to test all their new COVID-19 protocols and get everything set on a site with an extremely limited number of people.
Inverness agreed to host five weeks ago, and it’s proving to be the ultimate welcome-back challenge. Players have raved about the historic Donald Ross design since they stepped foot on the immaculate grounds.
The word “limited” can be applied to virtually everything this week. Kang had no idea she was leading the event until she walked out of scoring as there are no leaderboards here this week. With no spectators, even the ropes are limited. Players are able to check scores on their phones this week, but Kang doesn’t think she’ll do it. While she usually is a leaderboard-watcher, the idea of taking out her phone mid-round and getting distracted doesn’t appeal to her.
“Yeah, it is what it is,” said Kang. “Just go with the flow.”
She will probably check the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship board when she gets off the course tomorrow as boyfriend Maverick McNealy currently sits in second place.
Nelly Korda, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 2, stumbled in with four bogeys on the last five holes and shot 76.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff sits alone in second after posting a 5-under 67 in the afternoon wave. France’s Celine Boutier, who won the Texas Women’s Open as well as the Kathy Whitworth Paris Championship, a Women’s All-Pro Tour event, over the break, joined Pace at 4 under.
A couple of rookies with limited rounds on the LPGA – Yui Kawamoto and Maia Schechter – find themselves in the top 10 after an opening 70.
Lydia Ko has been known to shake up her team a time or two, and she has done it again.
TOLEDO, Ohio – Lydia Ko has been known to shake up her team a time or two. That was the case again over the LPGA’s extended coronavirus break when about a month ago she started working with swing instructor Sean Foley.
Ko said Foley “hasn’t ripped anything apart.”
“He asked me the question, ‘Hey, if somebody asks you what are you working on, what are you going to say?’ ” said Ko. “I was like … we’re just getting into a position at the start of the swing to make sure that I can hit it freely and not, like, manipulate it.”
Ko’s list of former instructors is nearly as long as her caddie list. She was with Jorge Parada prior to Foley. She told Golfweek back in May of 2019 that she’d asked Chris Mayson and Foley to take a look at her swing. She ultimately went with David Whelan. Prior to that she’d been with Ted Oh, Gary Gilchrist and David Leadbetter. As an amateur, she worked with New Zealand’s Guy Wilson.
It’s a dizzying list for a 24-year-old who once made everything look so effortless.
Lydia said she played a lot of golf with Lindy Duncan & @Annevandam at Lake Nona. Loser had to drop and do push-ups after each hole. Outdrove Anne once during the break. Took a picture of it. pic.twitter.com/yyFbVMv2O5
Karen Stupples, an LPGA major winner who has followed Ko’s entire career both as a player and broadcaster for Golf Channel, weighed in on Ko’s swing coach carousel before the start of the LPGA Drive On Championship.
“We talked so much about how great she is around the green,” said Stupples, “how she visualizes how she’s feeling shots that not everybody has. She’s just magnificent with a wedge in her hand.
“My fear, and I think we’ve seen it over the last few years, she’s lost a little bit of that skill that she has because she’s so concerned with technique… If you make changes in your swing, it’s hard to not have those thoughts go through your head even on the shorter swings and the shorter shots because it just takes a while to work everything through the whole bag.”
Stupples will be pleased then to learn that Ko has recently taken a trip down memory lane.
“I’ve been looking at lots of my videos or swing videos,” she said. “Kind of weird to Google or YouTube yourself, but I’ve been doing that to just see my swing as an amateur.
‘He’s I think gotten me not to think too much about the lines of everything. I’ve tried to change my mindset of not trying to take a video of my swing every single time I’m on the driving range.”
And then this kicker: “It doesn’t need to look like a perfect swing for me to just play golf.”
It’s been more than two years since Ko, a 15-time winner on the LPGA, hoisted a trophy. She’s a two-time champion of next week’s Marathon Classic. At the opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship, Ko carded a 3-under 69 at Inverness Club to sit three shots back of leader Danielle Kang.
Ko, who like Foley is based in Orlando, Florida, played quite a bit of golf over the LPGA’s extended break at Lake Nona with fellow tour players Lindy Duncan and Anne van Dam. Instead of playing for money, they’d make each other do push-ups after a lost hole.
“We used to play for 10 push-ups,” she said, “but now we play for five because we were like, ‘Man, we can’t do like 40.’ ”
Carlota Ciganda decided to get tested for COVID-19 and it came back positive. She isolated in her apartment and has since recovered.
Six weeks ago Carlota Ciganda’s muscles started to ache. She also spiked a fever and battled headaches. The Spanish player decided to get tested for COVID-19 and it came back positive. She isolated in her apartment in Arizona and continued to test positive.
“I did the quarantine two weeks; came back positive,” she said. “I wait another week, positive. And I think my fourth one, so yeah, a month, came back negative.”
Ciganda’s ordeal was first reported in the Spanish media. By the time she arrived in Toledo, Ohio, she was feeling good. Understandably, Ciganda chose to keep her mask on when met with the media at Inverness after an opening 2-under 70. She’s four back of leader Danielle Kang. Ciganda, a two-time winer on the LPGA, is currently No. 16 in the world.
“After 10 days I was feeling fine,” she said. “Just a little annoyed that I couldn’t really practice much or do much, because obviously it’s a horrible feeling knowing you can spread the virus to someone else.”
Ciganda was tested twice by the LPGA before she was allowed to tee it up in Friday’s opening round. In all, a total of 466 pre-travel and onsite COVID-19 saliva tests were given to players and caddies before today’s restart. Three tests came back positive: Marina Alex, Gaby Lopez and one caddie.
“I think I should have antibodies for at least a couple months,” said Ciganda, “but to be honest, I don’t know. I didn’t even get that test done, so I don’t know if I have them. I hope I have some, so that way will be tougher to get it again.
“I’m still very careful keeping the distance. I’ve been washing my hands all the time and just not going anywhere. Just from here to the hotel, getting some food. You have to be careful, especially to keep everyone healthy and to keep playing.”
Players and television viewers are getting an advance look at the 2021 Solheim track at the LPGA Drive On Championship.
TOLEDO, Ohio – The 8:11 a.m. group of Angela Stanford, Amy Olson and Madelene Sagstrom will be mic’d up on Golf Channel for the first round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness. Players and television viewers are getting an advance look at the 2021 Solheim track and Stanford, along with Michelle Wie, was recently named an assistant captain under Pat Hurst. Sweden’s Sagstrom won her first LPGA title back in January at the new Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.
This marks the first time an entire group will be mic’d up for television on the LPGA. Coverage for Friday’s first round begins at 9 a.m.
Former Solheim Cuppers Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson and Carlota Ciganda tee off at 8 a.m.
This week’s featured groups at the #DriveOn Championship:
Thompson warmed up for this week’s restart by competing in two men’s mini tour events. She hit only two drivers off the tee in Thursday’s 18-hole practice round. On both holes, Thompson purposely aimed down the wrong fairway. She’s mostly using a driving iron off the tee, hitting it 210 to 215 before getting another 50 or so yards of roll.
“I would say keeping it straight of the tee is the main focus,” said Thompson, “because distance isn’t really super key out here, because a lot of run-outs are about 270-ish and the ball is rolling a lot. So you don’t have to hit it too far in the air.”
Nelly Korda can’t wait for the chance to let some adrenaline escape her system.
“It’s been just sitting inside me for a couple months,” she said.
The World No. 2 moved out on her own for the first time during the pandemic break, getting an apartment that’s about 20 minutes from her parents’ house.
“I still see them almost every day,” she said. “Hey, what are you guys doing for dinner? Can I come over?”
Korda also switched out most of the clubs in her bag over the break. She had one two-week stretch where she didn’t touch a club.
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As the tour eases back into action and builds its protective bubble, physio trainers aren’t on hand for players these first few weeks. (At the Drive On, only players and caddies and allowed on site – no coaches or trainers or family members.) Nelly said she and big sister Jessica packed an entire suitcase full of “recovery stuff.”
“I’m a little nervous about that,” said Nelly, “how my body is going to hold up, because I’ve always had a physio with me.”
Another interesting group of past and potential Solheim Cuppers goes off at 7:49 a.m.: Danielle Kang, Anna Nordqvist and Jennifer Kupcho.
Kang, a self-described homebody, said the break was good for her mentally. She enjoyed walking to Einstein’s in the mornings with her dog, hiking with boyfriend Maverick McNealy and painting (anything but portraits). She also worked quite a bit on her golf game, taking advantage of being close to instructor Butch Harmon in Nevada.
“It’s been a good off-time, but I’m glad to be back,” said Kang. “Like I said, I love the competition and I can’t wait to play.”
The tour conducted 233 pre-travel tests of players and caddies prior to them departing for this week’s LPGA Drive On Championship.
The LPGA has released an update on its COVID-19 testing results following its initial three weeks of testing.
The tour conducted 233 pre-travel tests of players and caddies prior to them departing for this week’s LPGA Drive On Championship. Tour player Marina Alex, who is asymptomatic, tested positive during this phase as did one caddie. The caddie was only scheduled to work Drive On and did not travel to the event. Alex is expected to return to competition at next week’s Marathon Classic after a 10-day quarantine.
“At the advice of my primary care physician, I have remained in isolation while continuing a testing regiment which has successfully provided three negative tests in the last seven days,” said Alex in a statement on twitter. “I have exhausted every resource possible to be able to compete at Inverness, however due to current CDC guidelines and the current protocols the LPGA has put in place for our safety my official clearance date does not allow me to compete this week.”
The LPGA further tested 233 players and caddies on-site in Toledo this week. Mexico’s Gaby Lopez tested positive and two tests are still pending after their initial results were inconclusive. The tour did not reveal any more information about whose results are pending or their status for Friday’s opening round, but anticipates getting results prior to the start of the first round.
Lopez has withdrawn from the event and is self-isolating.
Last week on the Symetra Tour, 205 players and caddies were tested prior to traveling to the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan. Fatima Fernandez Cano tested positive and withdrew from the event. She has since recovered and been cleared to play.
The Drive On Championship kicks off at 7 a.m. on Friday at historic Inverness Club.
Local caddies aren’t being used for the rest of the year on the LPGA, so players are using some different options.
Lindsey Weaver dusted off the old push cart from her AJGA days for this week’s LPGA Drive On Championship. Veterans like Jacqui Concolino and Alison Walshe chose to carry their bags. Caddies are optional on the LPGA for the first time, and a handful of players at Inverness Club opted out.
“We were getting a lot of jawin’ from some of the girls, asking if we were back in junior golf,” said 32-year-old Concolino, “asking what colleges we were looking at.”
Lindsey Weaver will use the same push cart from junior golf in this week’s Drive On event. (Golfweek photo)
Local caddies aren’t being used for the rest of the year on the LPGA. With mandatory COVID-19 testing in place for players, caddies and staff, the tour is working hard to keep the bubble tight and costs down.
Kris Tamulis planned on having a caddie this week but hers didn’t get tested in time so she’s carrying a pencil bag.
Linnea Strom’s caddie is in Sweden. She flew over to the U.S. to quarantine for two weeks but thought it best that her caddie stay back in Europe until the tour heads to Scotland in two weeks. He’ll catch up with her there.
Strom has only been a professional for 2 ½ years and said she didn’t always use a caddie when she competed on the Symetra Tour. (The developmental tour already allowed players to carry their own bags or use a push cart.)
“Basically last year was the first time I had a full-time caddie,” Strom said. “It’s not that long ago.”
Stacy Lewis was against making caddies optional from the get-go. The former No. 1 has had the same caddie, Travis Wilson, her entire career and considers him to be a crucial part of her success.
“I feel like we have a hard enough time getting good caddies out here, and I feel like doing something like that is going to push them away more and maybe make them feel like they’re not welcome or like they’re not needed,” said Lewis. “We’re a professional golf tour and I think we need to look like it.”
There are at least seven players in the field of 134 who aren’t taking a caddie this week.
“This temporary option is meant primarily to avoid the local caddie situation where a player may have health concerns working with someone who they don’t know,” said Kelly Schultz, VP of Communications for the LPGA. “We fully expect the overwhelming number of players to be using caddies and are encouraging them to do so. Caddies are a critical part of LPGA tournaments and competitions and we will resume our mandatory policy in 2021. This is not the beginning of a long-term plan to phase out caddies. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Angela Stanford believes caddies will always be a vital part of the tour, but she still made sure to pack her small carry bag in the SUV in case her regular looper, Ryan Hilton, suddenly can’t work any given week.
She understands why Whan made the caddie rule flexible, noting that as a rookie she had to ask her sponsor for a cash advance so that she could even get started on the tour to compete. If going without a caddie financially allows a player to compete during a pandemic, she said, then so be it.
“We don’t make the money the PGA Tour does,” said Stanford, “and some of these girls haven’t made a dime in six months.”
Louise Ridderström carries her bag down the first hole at Inverness alongside fellow player Ryann O’Toole. (Golfweek photo)
Some players, like Walshe and Weaver, didn’t have a consistent caddie prior to the pandemic and felt it was simply easier to go without one for now.
While Inverness isn’t too difficult of a walk, it is demanding in nearly every other way. Most are seeing it for the first time too.
Walshe carries her bag all the time when she’s at home. For Thursday’s practice round she had a portable speaker strapped to her bag and a handful of golf balls to keep it light. She has a push cart in the car, just in case bad weather comes into play.
“I’m confident that I won’t exhaust my efforts by carrying,” she said.
Suzann Pettersen details what it was like to be a Solheim Cup heroine, the player who intimidated her most and much more.
Few in sport have enjoyed a more spectacular walk-off moment than Suzann Pettersen. That winning putt at the 2019 Solheim Cup, after a 20-month break from competition, instantly changed her from villainess of the match-play spectacle to beloved heroine.
The legendary moment prompted longtime sponsor Dow to put together a documentary entitled “Her Final Putt – Suzann Pettersen’s Story.” The 30-minute program aired on CBS earlier this month.
The 39-year-old Norwegian won 15 times on the LPGA, including two majors, and compiled a 18-12-6 record in nine Solheim Cup appearances.
Golfweek recently caught up with Pettersen to talk about retirement, scaling the cliffs of Norway, that magical putt and raising Herman.
Here are excerpts from that conversation:
I always find it hard to talk about myself believe it or not. I‘ve never been a person who kind of reflected too much about what I’ve done. I’ve always kind of looked ahead, chasing the next goal. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect back over the last six, seven months. When they did put (my story) into a TV program, it was almost a nice way to kind of go over your career as well.
At the time when it came about, I felt like it had already been so much focus about the last putt and like the mic drop and everything. I thought, have they not had enough of me?
Team Europe celebrate as Suzann Pettersen putts to win her match and the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles on September 15, 2019. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
They obviously wanted to put a different touch to the story. It was kind of good to kind of let the guard down and let people really know what I had on my heart. I had a to go a few rounds with myself to get comfortable, but as we got started, I don’t think they needed to ask too many questions.
I know Carlota (Ciganda), when she first met me was scared to death to talk to me, and she has obviously turned out to be one of my best friends from the LPGA. Thankfully that perspective has changed (laughs).
I haven’t been too emotional, but when I see other people getting emotional about me not playing anymore and seeing almost Anna (Nordqvist) having a tear in her eye talking about how she’s going to miss having us around … it makes me a little bit emotional.
I’ve always been scared to death of Webby (Karrie Webb). The last person you want to piss off is Webby. You don’t want to try and reach a par 5 in two and she’s on the green in the group ahead of you. You know you’re in trouble, but more in a fun way. Not really intimidated.
I always looked up to the generation above us. Annika was like half a generation older than me. I feel like when I look back, I was very fortunate to compete against Rosie Jones, Michele Redman, Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon, Beth Daniel. Now it’s a different group of girls on tour, and I’ve kind of been a part of a few changes in generations that have played on the LPGA lately.
What drives me now? I’m involved with a lot of different projects. I only do things that I feel like are really challenging and fun. But I haven’t really been in a position where I felt that adrenaline, the way you feel on the first tee. I don’t know if I’m going to find something that will give me the same kind of drive.
Europe’s Suzann Pettersen celebrates after Europe beat the U.S to win the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Dunsany near Dublin, on September 25, 2011. Europe won the tournament 15-13.
I did go on a hike last week, climbing. I have to say I haven’t been that focused since that last putt. I was so mentally tired after climbing because I’m scared of heights and I had to work so hard on myself mentally. I couldn’t look down once. I was just looking up and ahead. I was so drained finishing that climb. I like to challenge myself. I like to break new barriers or new things that I’m not too comfortable doing and try to become better. I still have that drive.
We went from sea level and climbed to 1,200 meters. For the first part you walk about 500 meters, but it’s like literally walking up a ski slope. Most people stop before they start climbing because they get so physically tired from the walk. And then climbing, you are self-secured. We were recommended that it would take us four to five hours and we got up in two hours and 40 minutes. Obviously, I was trying to push it … I still have the competitive edge in me.
It happened to be that one putt that defined the entire Solheim in 2019. It could’ve easily been Bronte’s match behind me or Anna’s being the last of the single. It happened to be the 10th match between Marina (Alex) and myself. I was just happy to be right in the mix of it. But at the same time when I walked up to the 18th, I just remember telling myself you’re getting too old for this.
My first win at Kingsmill in 2007 was big for me. I’d just come off of Kraft Nabisco where I kind of was leading, I don’t know three shots with three holes to play, and I kind of fumbled coming down the stretch. I learned so much from that. I did such a good job analyzing and learning from the mistakes I made and within a few tournaments I was in the same situation and I managed to pull off the win.
Suzann Pettersen won the LPGA Lotte Championship presented by J Golf at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, Hawaii.
I remember winning in Thailand when I went head-to-head with Laura Davies. Coming up 18, I eagled, and she birdied. I just remember that double fist-pump right in her face. Every time I see her she keeps reminding me of that double fist-pump right in her face.
I don’t know if I had too many regrets. I’ve obviously done my mistakes, but I feel like I’ve owned them, and I’ve learned from it and I think that’s the most important think you can take from doing what we do for a living. You’re not going to make perfect decisions or the perfect step every single day of your life. As long as you can kind of own whatever you decide to do and then learn from it … that’s what I’ve kind of come to peace with.
Lorena was a feisty competitor. When she was in the hunt, she most of the time got it done.
She was one of those players that when she stopped playing, I really missed having her around. As much as she was a great competitor, she was also a fun friend. She was probably a bit more relaxed than me tournament days, but early in the week we had a lot of fun. A lot of jokes back and forth. When we were paired together, we usually had bets going. We made it a more relaxed atmosphere.
I remember going head-to-head with her in Mexico one year. I think I was like 24 under par and she ended up being 26 under par, something like that. We were miles ahead of the next (person). We just got the best out of each other.
There’s a few things I‘ve come to realize. I really do miss the structure in my daily life. Because I was so determined and focused and I always knew what to do at what time. Obviously, my life is not quite like that anymore. I miss maybe the feel of the adrenaline, getting ready, getting geared up to play tournaments.
I don’t miss the hard work, the frustrating work, the hours where you feel like, oh god can I just jump this phase and get straight into where I really feel comfortable?
It’s been nice to not have to wake up with a guilty feeling of have you done enough? Are you not ready?
I miss the girls. I miss the caddies, the chit chat on the range, being in the mix of everything that’s going on. That part I miss. … I think once a competitor, always a competitor. I feel like I’ve grinded enough over my years.
Just thinking about (playing again) makes me nervous right now. It’s all about preparation. If you feel like your game is up for it, but that takes a lot of work and a lot of decision. As of now I’m not quite there. Who knows, I might play a pro-am or two, but if I’m going to turn up in a competition, not on my radar as of now.
I feel like I was a tough but fair competitor. Feisty. It’s kind of hard to say, but I probably opened a few doors to make younger girls, guys realize that it’s possible to be really good. It’s been fun to kind of see the generation growing and the new talents that are coming up. Ever since I kind of retired, Viktor Hovland has kind of taken over. I think Norway is really good hands when it comes to the interest in golf.
What is Herman up to? Everything and nothing. He’s literally nonstop 24/7, running around. I tried to get him to on the golf course, but he’s likes to kick the ball more than hit or swing. So far, he’s a very active little boy. Hard to pick what his actual interests are going to be but something with a ball I think.
He has my temperament, unfortunately. (laughs) No, he’s a very easy boy, a very easy child.
My ego is gone. It’s not like I walk around and think about it, but my priority is not on myself anymore. I think that’s quite natural when you have a child. It kind of feels good as well. I feel like I’ve been enough self-driven over the years that it’s very nice to now take care of your family, be a wife and be a mom. It’s been a blessing to be honest.
Now he’s turning 2 at the beginning of August. It’s starting to get really fun.
Check out who’s in the field and making the trip to Royal Troon for the first LPGA major, the Women’s Open Championship.
The field for the first major of the year is taking shape as 111 of the 144 spots at Royal Troon have been filled. The AIG Women’s Open Championship will be contested Aug. 20-23 in Scotland and the top-ranked Americans have committed to play: Nelly Korda (No. 2), Danielle Kang (No. 4) and Lexi Thompson (No. 9).
Canada’s Brooke Henderson (No. 7) will make her first start since the coronavirus break at Royal Troon. Other top-10 players in the field include Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (No. 5) and Minjee Lee (No. 8).
Notably absent from the field are a number of South Korean stars including top-ranked Jin Young Ko, who won two majors last year and finished third at Woburn. Ko has yet to compete on the LPGA this season.
Sung Hyun Park, Sei Young Kim, Hyo Joo Kim, Jeong Eun Lee6, So Yeon Ryu and M.J. Hur round out the Korean players ranked in the top 20 who are skipping the event.
Defending champion Hinako Shibuno of Japan has signed up to play. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park, who won this championship in 2015, will also be there as the top-ranked Korean (No. 11). Other notable players include past champions Stacy Lewis (2013), Ariya Jutanguarn (2016), In-Kyung Kim (2017), Catriona Matthew (2009) and Georgia Hall (2018).
